Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that manufacture refrigerators are aspiring to shift from the OEMs' current convention design practice of steel stamped refrigerator parts to new technologies in designing and manufacturing of such refrigerator parts. The current trend in the home appliance industry is moving toward a wall-mounted refrigerator which will prompt OEMs to make such products lighter. For example, OEMs are looking to replace the current steel compressor mounting plate of a current refrigerator with a light weight and a corrosion resistance compressor mounting base plate.
Generally, a compressor and the compressor mounting base plate for a refrigerator are located in a machine compartment of the refrigerator at the lower portion or bottom structure of the refrigerator. A compressor mounting base plate is positioned under the rear part of the refrigerator bottom so as to define a machine compartment and the compressor mounting base plate supports a compressor mounted on the base plate located in the machine compartment.
FIGS. 1 and 2 show a conventional design of a refrigerator, generally indicated by numeral 10, illustrating some of the conventional parts of a refrigerator including a conventional steel compressor mounting base plate 11 affixed to the bottom portion of the refrigerator cabin 12 at a lower portion of a refrigerator cabin; and a conventional compressor 13 affixed to the top surface of the compressor mounting base plate 11. The compressor 13 is attached to the top surface of the compressor mounting base plate 11 via threaded bolts 14 and threaded nuts 15; and compressor support member brackets 16 attached to the compressor 13. Disposed in-between the brackets 16 and the surface of the compressor mounting base plate 11 are vibration damping members 17 for attenuating the vibrations of the compressor when the compressor is in operation. In addition, wheels 18 are attached to the compressor mounting base plate 11 to provide the refrigerator with mobility when the compressor mounting base plate 11 is affixed to the refrigerator cabin 12.
FIGS. 3-5 illustrate another example of a conventional steel compressor mounting base plate in the form of a rectangular-shaped tray member generally indicated by numeral 20 which can be affixed to the bottom portion of a refrigerator unit of the prior art (not shown) and which is also adapted for affixing a conventional compressor (not shown) to the top surface of the compressor mounting base plate 21.
A typical compressor mounting plate of the prior art as shown in FIGS. 3-5 is made from 1 millimeter (mm) thick steel sheets. The compressor mounting plate 20 is usually manufactured using a sheet metal stamping process to form the general structure of the base plate 21 having a top surface 22 and a bottom surface 23; and sidewalls 24 and 25. The process of manufacturing the compressor mounting plate can include a secondary operation that can be used to make flange tabs 26, flange holes 27, plate holes 28; and plate holes 29 in the base plate 21. Typically, the compressor mounting plate part is about 1.2 kg in weight. When the steel compressor mounting plate is subjected to a corrosive environment, over time, the steel corrodes and loses its strength. Also, the structural damping coefficient for steel is approximately 2 percent (%) which causes vibrations to transfer to the refrigerator cabin through the compressor mounting plate even though there are typically four rubber dampers 33 fixed with bolts 31 and nuts 32 to the steel sheet plate 21 below the location of where the compressor support member brackets will be positioned. The brackets are not shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 but the brackets can be similar to the brackets 16 of FIGS. 1 and 2. In addition, wheel members 34 are attached to the compressor mounting base plate 21 via a slot 35 and axel rod 36 to provide a refrigerator with mobility when the compressor mounting base plate 21 is affixed to a refrigerator cabin (not shown).
Thus, OEMs in the home appliance industry are continually seeking appliance equipment and parts such as a compressor mounting base plate product for a refrigerator unit that would provide an improvement to the overall manufacture and cost of an appliance such as a refrigerator unit.